Lubricator attachment.



V. P. McVOY.

LUBRICATOR ATTACHMENT.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-26.1916.

1523431 0 Patented July 24, 1917.

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w I T 2? E gwve'ntoz V. P. McVOY.

LUBRICATOR ATTACHMENT.

APPLICATION FILED sEPL25. 19-16.

,mm m Patented. July 24, 1917.

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gvvuentoz plaid VINCEN P. MCVOY, OF MOBILE, ALABAMA.

LUBRICATOR ATTACHMENT.

Application filed September 26, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VINonN P. MoVoY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mobile, in the county of Mobile and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lubricator Attachments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in attachments for lubricators for steam engines, of that class in which provision is made for vaporizing the lubricant, and it has for its object among others to provide a simplified, yet efficient and reliable means readily attached to lubricators of known make and by means of which the oil is taken directly from the lubricator and delivered to the desired point by means of a constant flow of steam which picks up the oil as it comes drop by drop from the lubricator and atomizes or vaporizes it so that it is delivered at the desired point commingled with the steam.

It has for av further object to provide an attachment of this character by means of which I obtain boiler pressure of steam serving to atomize the oil and engine pres sure, less than the boiler pressure, so as to insure at all times, while the engine is under throttle pressure, a constant flow of steam as ordinarily through the steam pipe of the engine.

I employ a piston automatically controlled by back pressure of steam from the steam pipe so that whenever the engine is running, either under throttle pressure or drifting, there is a constant flow of steam to the atomizer through to the engine. When the engine is at a standstill, the flow of steam is automatically out oif from the atomizer.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which, with the numerals of reference marked thereon, form a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a side elevation with portions broken away and parts in section showing the application of my present improvement to a lubricator.

Fig. 2 is a vertical. section on the line 22 of Fig. 1, with portions in elevation.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 24:, 1917.

Serial No. 122,192.

2, looking in the direction of the arrows, with portions broken away.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings,

1 designates the oil reservoir of a lubricator which may be of any well-known or approved form of construction, the same forming no part of the present invention. My improvement is attachable to such reservoir, or the reservoir of any lubricator and readily detachable therefrom should occa sion require. It is attachable to the threaded extension 2 of such reservoir, it being readily understood that in locomotive lubricators a multiplicity of these connections may be employed. A description of one, however, will be sufiicient.

3 is a pipe or casting connected with the extension 2 of the lubricator reservoir, as shown in Fig. 1, and with the body portion l with chamber 5, the pipe 3 extending into said chamber and terminating in a nozzle 6.

7 is a pipe for conveying the oil and steam to the part to be lubricated. It is connected with one end of the chamber 4 by suitable means, as the nut 8, the end of the pipe 7 within the chamber 5 terminating in a funnel-shaped mouth 9, as seen in Fig. l.

10 is a plug in the body portion 4 opposite the nozzle 6 for obvious purposes. 11 is a nozzle extending into the chamber 5 with its axial'line substantially in alinement with the inner end of the nozzle 6 and in axial alinement with the pipe 7, all as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

12 is a pipe connected with the nozzle 11 and with the passage 13 in the portion 14: depending from the cylinder 15, as seen in F 2. 16 represents the union connection between the pipe 12 and the extension 17, see Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

Diametrically opposite the passage 13 in the portion 14 is a passage 18 with which is connected a pipe 19 connected with the boiler of the engine and provided with a controlling valve 20, 21 being the union connection between said pipe 19 and the threaded extension 22 and 23 being a T with which is connected the pipe 24 which furnishes steam to the lubricator in a wellknown way.

25 is a piston adapted to reciprocate within the cylinder15, as in Fig. 2.- This piston has a depending stem 26 reciprocable in the bore of the member let, a suitable removable cap 27 being provided held in position by bolts or the like 28, and between the inner face of this cap and the upper end of the piston is a spring 29 held against dis placement by means of teats 30 and 31 on the inner face of the cap and the outer head ofthe piston, as seen in Fig. 2.

32 is a spring of much greater power than the spring 29, interposed between the lower end of the stem 26 and the inner wall of a nut 33 detachably engaged in the lower end of the member 1 1, as seen in Fig. 2, a suitable teat or the like 3 1- being provided on the lower end of the stem for obvious purposes. 35 is an exhaust pipe mounted in the nut 33, open to the atmosphere and communicating with the chamber 36 in the lower end of the member 14. This chamber 36 is in communication with a passage 37 extending through the stem 26 and at a point just below the lower face of the piston 25 it is in communication with the interior of the cylinder 15 by means of a passage 38, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2.

The depending stem 26 of the piston 25 is provided with annular channels 39 and 4:0, as seen in Fig. 2, separated by the blank portion 41, suitable packing rings 42 and 43 being provided, as seen clearly in said Fig. 2.

t l is a pipe communicating with the interior of the cylinder 15 above the piston 25 therein and designed to connect with the steam pipe of the engine between the engine and the throttle.

The cylinder 15 is provided with a seat 45 for the check 46 on the under face of the piston, as seen in Fig. 2, so that when the piston is down to its lowermost limit under heavy pressure greater than the tension of the spring 32, flow of steam, which ordinarily leaks around the piston while in motion, is effectually stopped.

With the parts constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described, the operation, briefly stated, is as follows:

The pipe 3 being connected up with the oil reservoir of the lubricator and the other parts connected as described and the throttle being open and the engine moving under throttle pressure, the pressure from the boiler building up in the steam pipe backs up through the pipe 44 into the upper portion of the cylinder 15 and acting upon the upper face of the piston 25 forces the same downward against the tension of the spring 32, the check 416 on the piston seating tightly against the seat 45 and at the same time bringing the channel 40 into communication with the passages 13 and 18, admitting steam through the pipes 19 at boiler pressure through the passage 18, the channel 40, the passage 13 and the pipe 12 through the nozzle 11 in the chamber Here the steam mixes with the oil rising drop by drop through the nozzle 6 and this combined oil and steam enters through the funnel-shaped mouth 9 into the pipe 7 and through the same to the point to be lubricated. So long the engine is under throttle pressure, this flow of steam under boiler pressure is continuous entering into the cylinder or valves to be lubricated under less than boiler pres sure. Supposing the throttle to be closed and the engine still moving, a vacuum is created by the moving pistons in the cylinders and this vacuum through the pipe 4-1 acting upon the upper face of the piston 25 pulls the piston upwardly against the tension of the spring 29 until the groove 39 is brought into alinement with the passages 18 and 13, when steam under boiler pressure again enters in the same manner as above de scribed, through the nozzle 11 and the connections before-mentioned'into the chamber 5 and acting upon the oil flowing through the nozzle 6 forces the same commingled with the steam through the funnel-shaped mouth 9 and pipe 7 to the point to be lubricated, while the engine is drifting.

When the engine is at a standstill and there is no vacuum above the piston in the cylinder 15 and no pressure in the cylinder below said piston, the spring 29 forces the piston downward to its normal position so that neither of the grooves 39 or 40 is in communication with the passages 13 and 18, that is in the position shown in Fig. 2, and the flow of steam through the passage 18 is interrupted by the blank portion 41 of the stem 26. V

The passages 37 and 38 provide for the exhaust from the cylinder 15 under the piston. The power of the spring 32 is predetermined so as to normally form a stop for the stem, to support the same in its normal position, namely that shown in Fig. 2, but

compressible under pressure on the top of the piston to just such an extent as to allow the piston to descend to bring the groove 40 into registration with the passages 13 and 18, and serving to return the piston to its normal position when there is no pressure on the top of the piston. Under vacuum above the piston, the piston is elevated eutirely free of the spring 32, leaving the latter in position to again stop the piston when it descends. The spring 29 is a comparatively light spring and serves to insure the piston descending without the assistance of pressure upon its upper face.

It is to be understood that the device hereinbefore described is absolutely automatic in. its action and that the commingled steam and oil is discharged directly and at once to the parts to be lubricated without the necessity of. waiting until the pipe from the source of supply to the point of lubrication is tilled with oil as ordinarily.

Modifications in detail may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

What is claimed as new is 1. A lubricator attachment comprising a piston ope able in one direction by steam pressure and in the opposite direction by vacuum to insure constant flow of steam, a discharge nozzle controlled thereby, a nozzle for connection with the oil reservoir of a lubricator and means whereby steam and oil are commingled and delivered to the point of lubrication in the form of spray both when the engine is moving under throttle pressure and when drifting.

2. A lubricator attachment comprising a piston operable in one direction by steam pressure and in the opposite direction by vacuum to insure constant flow of steam, a discharge nozzle controlled thereby, a nozzle for connection with the oil reservoir of a lubricator and means whereby steam and oil are commingled and delivered in the form of spray to the point of lubrication when the engine is drifting.

3. A lubricator attachment comprising a piston operable in one direction by steam pressure and in the opposite direction by vacuum to insure constant flow of steam, and injector means supplied by said steam for conducting commingled steam and oil to the parts to e lubricated while the engine is drifting.

4. A lubricator attachment comprising a piston operable in one direction by steam pressure and in the opposite direction by vacuum to insure constant flow of steam, and injector means supplied by said steam for conducting commingled steam and oil to the parts to be lubricated while the engine is drifting and also when the engine is moving under boiler pressure.

5. A lubricator attachment comprising a piston operable in one direction by steam pressure and in the opposite direction by vacuum to insure constant flow of steam, injector means for commingling steam and oil for discharge to the point of lubrication, said means therefor being under boiler pressure both when the engine is moving under boiler pressure and when driftin 6. In a lubricator attachment, a piston operable in one direction by steam pressure and in the opposite direction by vacuum to insure constant flow of steam and injector means operable by said steam for commingling steam and oil when the piston is actuated by either pressure or vacuum.

7. In a lubricator attachment, a piston operable in one direction by steam pressure and in the other direction by vacuum, a stem movable with said piston and having separated annular grooves, and means connected with a supply of steam at boiler pressure for admitting the passage of steam through either of said grooves according to the position of the piston.

8. In a lubricator attachment, a piston operable in one direction by steam pressure and in the other direction by vacuum, a stem movable with said piston and having separated annular grooves, means connected with a supply of steam at boiler pressure for admitting the passage of steam through either of said grooves according to the position of the piston, and means for preventing leakage when the piston is at its lowermost limit.

9. In a lubricator attachment, a piston ope able in one direction by steam pressure and in the other direction by vacuum, a stem movable with said piston and having separated annular grooves, means connected with a supply of steam at boiler pressure for admitting the passage of steam through either of said grooves according to the position of the piston, and springs of different power upon opposite sides of the piston.

10. In a lubricator attachment, a piston operable in one direction by steam pressure and in the opposite direction by vacuum, a stem for said piston having separated annular channels, a guide for said stem having alined passages, means for admitting steam under boiler pressure to one of said passages and means connected with the other passage for the discharge of steam for the commingling of the same with oil.

11. In a lubricator attachment, a balanced piston operable in one direction by steam pressure and in the opposite direction by vacuum, a stem for said piston having separated annular channels, aguide for said stem having alined passages, means for admitting steam under boiler pressure to one of said passages and means connected with the other passage for the discharge of steam for the commingling of the same with oil.

12. In a lubricator attachment, a balanced piston operable in one direction by steam pressure and in the opposite direction by vacuum, a stem for said piston having separated annular channels, a guide for said stem having alined passages, means for admitting steam under boiler pressure to one of said passages and means connected with the other passage for the discharge of steam for the commingling of the same with oil, said stem having an axial passage open to the atmosphere and with a space beneath the piston.

13. In a lubricator attachment, a balanced piston operable in one direction by steam pressure and in the opposite direction by vacuum, a stem for said piston having separated annular channels, a guide for said stem having alined passages, means for admitting steam under boiler pressure to one of said passages and means connected with the other passage for the discharge of steam for the commingling of the same with oil, said stem having an axial passage open to the atmosphere and with a space beneath the piston, said piston having upon its under face a check, and the piston cylinder having a seat therefor to prevent leakage.

1a. In a lubricator attachment, a balanced piston operable in one direction by steam pressure and in the opposite direction by vacuum, a stem for said piston having separated annular channels, a guide for said stem having alined passages, means for admitting steam under boiler pressure to one of said passages and means connected with the other passage for the discharge of steam for the commingling of the same with oil,

said stem having an axial passage open to the atmosphere and with a space beneath the a spring of greater power on which the a lower end of the stem is supported.

15. In a lubricator attachment, a balanced piston automatically controlled by the steam pressure in one direction and by vacuum in the other direction, and injector means controlled by said piston for insuring the commingling of steam and oil both when the engine is moving under throttle pressure and when drifting.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature.

VINGEN P. MQVOY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C. 

